Mother Nature's Roots
by Deer Flower
Summary: After Pitch became the Nightmare King, his daughter traveled through galaxies looking for a way to help him. However, she finds herself drawn toward a blue and green planet known as Earth and begins dream about taking care of it. Just a one-shot that tells on how MN might have came to be. No pairings, references to the book series 'The Guardians' by William Joyce.


First off I would like to say thank you for taking the time to read this. This has been in my hand for a few days now so I'm glad to finally have it typed out. Hopefully you will enjoy it and if not, then please remember I'm only human.

Secondly, I just finished the third book in the 'Guardians' series and immediately liked the character idea of Mother Nature. A seemingly sweet being that's the daughter of one of the most villainous beings just gets to me, but I can't stay too mad at Pitch because 1) he was tricked by the fearlings, 2) he obviously loves and misses his daughter (even if he won't admit) and 3) he and Jack are both alike in the sense that no one spares them a second glance unless their causing trouble.

In this one-shot, I didn't give Mother Nature a name before she became MN because I don't know what her real name was. Also, I tried to make sure to avoid using 'he'/ 'her' and 'his'/ 'hers' to describe the elements. In my mind, the elements and everyone else do not associate them with a certain gender so hopefully that will clear up any confusion.

Without further a due, on to the one-shot.

Disclaimer: I do now own Rise of the Guardians or 'The Guardians.' The movie belongs to DreamWorks and the book series belong to William Joyce.

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Some of the tales told to children over many generations are about a being that takes care of the Earth and makes sure the environment is balanced in order for plants and animals to live. Sometimes the being is praised as being a kind spirit that brings good fortune wherever they go. Other times people tremble as the being unleashes its destructive power on them.

No one blames them for their faults however, because even something good can come from destruction. A forest fire for example, though dangerous and destructive, leaves behind ashes that fertilize the soil for new plants to grow. A raging thunderstorm eventually runs out of rain and leaves behind nourishing water and will sometimes leave a great rainbow in the clear sky.

This being, comforting and dangerous, creative and destructive, good and bad, nurturing and unpleasant, is often thought of as being like a mother. A mother to nature and who wields great control and power over it. Despite their many names throughout history, modern people have taken to calling this being Mother Nature.

While she is often seen as a great being that can be fierce at times, Mother Nature did not always take care of the Earth. In fact, before the mother of the earth was a mother, she was first a daughter. A daughter who deeply loved her father and whose father, a great general during the time of the Golden Age, deeply loved her.

Mother Nature was just a girl when her father had been changed into their life-long enemy, the nightmarish fearlings who wished to destroy dreams. When news of the incident reached her, she fell into deep mourning and would not let anyone offer her comfort. Anytime she thought of her father, anger would fill her heart at the "things" that had transformed him and she vowed to one day restore him to his old self.

When she wasn't in her empty house drawing up plans, she traveled around galaxies looking for clues to help her father. It was during one of her missions that she passed by a blue planet located in the Milky Way galaxy.

She quickly took a liking to the beauty of its crystal blue waters that reflected the sun's warming rays and the rich vegetation that covered most of the land. Sometimes she would take a slight detour during her journeys and explore the planets lush forests, rocky mountains, deep oceans, frozen tundras, scorching deserts, or simply take a stroll along a warm beach. The animals that inhabited this planet grew curious about this girl and eventually grew used to her presence and would do anything they could to brighten her mood.

They traveled with her to the deepest oceans, where she swam with the ancient sea creatures that called the seas their homes, to large forest, where creatures both big and small would let her feel at home in their cozy tree cottages, to frozen wastelands, racing with great wolves who enjoyed the feeling of cold wind blowing through their fur. Anywhere the animals went they made sure to invite the young girl along, asking only for her company and a smile.

The plants also opened themselves up to the girl. Flowers showed off their best petals whenever she passed by, which instantly earned them a large smile. Trees stretched out their braches as far as they could, helping her cool down as she walked under the sunny sky. Even the simple grass and bushes received the girl's attention, which they enjoyed greatly.

This went on for many years as the young girl grew into a charming young woman who looked after the plants and animals of the planet Earth. The only problem, or problems actually, were the elements.

There were four of them: wind, water, earth, and fire. Wind was a free and formless thing that enjoyed racing itself around the globe, not caring that it overturned monstrous trees, crushed mountains, and blew away animals from their homes. Water had taken up the habit of dragging down animals or land features and not willing to let them go, though some of its victims did learn to cope with the change of environment. Earth constantly changed their minds about the landscape should be and it could alter miles of land in a matter of seconds without warning. Fire had the unfortunate problem of keeping their heat under control, which frightening all living things since they gave off heat.

On their own they were unpredictable, uncontrollable, and extremely hostile with one another. Wind hated how Earth made new creations that halted its movements and Earth hated how Wind destroyed any of its creations. Water always snapped at Wind whenever they tried to pull them up from their domain. Fire took great delight in burning Earth's creations and had no remorse for putting other creatures' lives at risk. Earth would also lash out at Water whenever they tried stealing its creations. Fire and Water took an immediately disliking for one another because they tended to unconditionally weaken the other.

The animals, though respectful of these forces, grew to fear them. Anytime two, or sometimes three, of the elements fought with on another, the fight would leave animals homeless, hurt, or even dead in the wake of destruction. The environment around them would be uninhabitable for days, months, and sometimes years. The animals eventually developed a sense that allowed them to pick up on the elements' mood and give them enough time to find shelter.

However, the young girl was more curious about the elements than frightened. While the animals quickly hid whenever they sensed elemental hostility, she would stay and observe their power. As time went on, even the elements began to devote some of their attention to entertaining the girl, when they weren't fighting with each other.

Wind enjoyed picking up the light girl and racing her around the globe, loving the sound of her laughter whenever they performed their risky 'rescues'. Earth always went out of their way to show her his new creation, hoping to be rewarded with one of her charming smiles. Water took the girl to the most reclusive places in the ocean, making sure not to crush her delicate bones with the pressure of the sea and gravity. Fire, though worried at first that they would burn her, found it easier to control the intense warmth with her near. All four grew to love the girl, but they never were good at sharing.

Knowing this the girl tried her best to spend equal time with all of them, but that proved difficult since none of them were willing to depart with their friend. She voiced her worries to the animals, but they only told her to go back to her home and give up on the idea that the four elements could get along. Like any stubborn child however, she didn't let it go and was not about to let her new home and friends be destroyed.

With that in mind, she began to think about how to accomplish her goal. At first she considered sitting them down and talk, but that idea was quickly thrown out. The elements don't like to stay still, especially around each other. Next she thought of having one of them offer their friendship. It could have worked, but all four of them had extreme stubbornness issues. Another thought was showing them the destruction they caused whenever they let themselves get out of control, but she knew they wouldn't really care. The only thing they had in common was their concern and love for her.

That was when an idea finally took hold in her mind. Without wasting any time, she set to work with her plans. One of the first things she did was call out to Water. When Water asked her what she wanted, she replied, "I want to be able to stand on ground surrounded by the sea. That way, if I ever get tired, I could just rest there instead of straining myself after we go exploring."

Water promised the girl they would see to it, but after she left Water didn't know how to fulfill their promise. It couldn't bring up the bottom of the ocean because it was too deep, and Water didn't know how to make a solid surface. After much thought, Water thought to ask Earth to help. Earth was unwilling to help at first but when Water told them that it was for the young girl, Earth eagerly decided to help. The two worked together and made several islands throughout the oceans. When the girl asked how Water made them, the element replied that "Earth and I worked together to make them." From then on, Water didn't steal Earth's creations and Earth made pathways for Water to go inland. The girl saw this, and could barely hide the twinkle in her eyes as she and Water studied some fish that had started to walk on land.

The next element she went to was Fire. She mentioned to Fire that "I sometimes feel cold whenever I visit some of the forest because the trees always block out a lot of the sunlight." Not wanting the girl to be uncomfortable, Fire told her he would find a way to make things warmer without destroying the forest.

Fire tried to figure some solutions, but they couldn't figure out how to bring warmth to the forest without burning it up. While deep in thought Fire finally had an idea, ask the Wind if it wouldn't mind taking some of its warmth into some of these locations. Fire explained this plan to Wind, and they both agreed if it meant the girl would be comfortable. Even when the girl was not around, Fire allowed Wind to spread its warmth to other places and was happy that they didn't burn things as much as they used to.

The girl smiled at her cleverness and then asked the Wind to take her somewhere that was so high she didn't need to fly in order to see miles around her. Wind was stumped at her request, but didn't let that stop them. When they couldn't think of a solution, they asked Earth to build something that matched her request. Earth's first attempt did allow someone to see over vast distances, but Wind didn't like how it made them change direction mid-flight. With Earth's permission, Wind beat against the sides of the rocks until they began to become mountains. The girl loved seeing for miles with her feet on the ground, and Earth enjoyed her smile as Wind happily blew around her in the non-constricted landforms.

By the time she went up to ask Earth for a favor, the elements had a pretty good idea about what she was doing. Surprisingly, they didn't mind working together, especially if it meant the girl's happiness. Her final request however, confused Earth. "I want to be able to stand in the middle of the sea with the wind blowing and there's a place I can go that's really warm."

Knowing that help was needed, Earth quickly contacted the other three. They planned for a long while but they eventually came up with a solution. Earth began by creating an island and Water made sure that its waves wouldn't erode the soil away. Next, Earth created a large structure in the center of it. Working with Fire, the two created a hot material that moved freely like water but would cool down when Wind blew over it. To make sure it never got to out of hand, they made sure Water would be able to put it out. Earth then heightened one of the island's sides so Wind could have fun taking the girl flying around the island. Earth then lowered one of the sides to the sea so she could lie in sand while her feet greeted incoming waves. Fire had suggested that since the island had that structure in the center, it should always be warm. All four agreed and when they showed the girl their creation, they felt an immense amount of pride at working together to create something lovely that filled the girl with happiness.

When news of the elements working together spread, the animals didn't fear for their lives as much and had decided to settle in different places across the globe. They took up residents on warm beaches with gentle waves, enormous mountains that stretched to the sky, large plains of open space, and forests with varying temperatures depending on the animal's preference. While there were still some problems between the four, they didn't let their anger control them.

The girl saw all of this and couldn't help but feel happiness at what she accomplished. There was still the dream of saving her father, but that dream didn't dominant her thoughts as much as it used to do. Now, she dreamed of making Earth a beautiful place full of life and joy for the things that lived on it. Word spread about the peaceful planet and soon, other beings from different galaxies and solar systems came by to see for themselves. Most were content to just have a look and then head back home but a few decided to stay and make Earth their home. Except for one Pooka, who worked with Earth to give the planet a more round shape, the newcomers left everything about the planet alone and began their new lives.

As she became a young woman, she noticed that other beings besides animals were beginning to form. Their appearance was not much to start off with, but they eventually evolved to become humans. She became fascinated with them and would spend many days talking to different types of them. Unfortunately, they did not seem to share such a strong connection with other forms of life.

She watched as they cut down forests, trapped seas, and knocked over large boulders to set up settlements. They even began to hunt down other animals, eating their meat and using their skins and furs for clothing and supplies. None of this bugged her though because she knew that change was a natural part of nature, but that still didn't help the brokenness of her heart.

When it seemed like nature would be unable to balance itself and would collapse, she heard a voice call out to her from above. Looking up, she found out that the Man in the Moon was talking to her. The two of them acknowledged each other on a regular basis, but neither had decided to speak with the other.

"I'm glad to see you are well, my lady," the moon greeted through a moonbeam. "The same to you, Manny," she replied, "Might I ask why you are speaking to me? We haven't spoken since you and Water had worked out a schedule with the tides."

"Yes, I know. I hope you do not find it rude, but I have noticed your increasing concern over the nature's wellbeing." The woman turned for a second then said, "I can't help it. I just feel like it's my duty to watch over everything and make sure there is balance."

"Ah, yes, of course, since you did help create the balance in the first place, did you not?" Manny inquired. "In a way, I guess. Though I don't see how I helped all that much," she answered.

The beam blinked and brightened for a second as Manny joyfully continued, "'Not much?'. My dear, you've done more than you can imagine. From taking care of the animals and plants, to getting the elements to work together, I do not see that an easy feat."

Blushing slightly, she stated, "I don't mean to be rude, but can you please tell me what it is you need from me?" "Ah, yes, of course, I was just getting to that. Now I know it's been a long while since you've made Earth your home and feeling responsible for its well being. What I am offering is a proposition."

"What kind of proposition?" she asked, perking her ears. "I, along with the other elements, will give you powers to forever take care of nature so long as you wish to do so." The offer sounded too good to be true and to make sure it was real, she asked "What will you need from me then, Manny?"

"All I ask for in exchange is that you help watch over the children of the world." That caught her a little off guard as he continued, "Protect them from harm, from the dark forces that threaten their innocence, and keep their inner lights bright."

As Manny finished, she closed her eyes for a second to think. While she wasn't too fond of one type of species, she always had a weak spot for children. It filled her heart with joy at seeing a child laugh and smile as they looked at the world with innocent eyes. Even as children grow up, she still enjoyed seeing their happiness and enjoyed seeing them grow into adults and bring new children into the world. Of course, she realized, children will not be able to live as long if the world is unstable. Someone should be there to always make sure everything in nature is balanced so that new life can continue to cycle through, so that the children will be able to be children.

Reaching a decision, she opened her eyes and said Manny, "I accept your offer." The moon seemed to be smiling down at her as the moonbeam brightened as the elements appeared. They circled around her and the beam surrounded her in its light as she closed her eyes.

She felt power spread throughout her body and began to sense everything about nature. The elements promised to listen to her and she promised them that they would always work together. Images flowed through her mind and she felt connections being made with every living thing on the planet. Future events, although sometimes uncertain, became accessible to her and did not make her feel dizzy at all.

Power continued to flow through her but as it dwindled down, the moonbeam thinned out and the four elements returned to their previous locations. The woman opened her eyes, taking in a small breath when she felt slight pressure on her chest. When it had passed, she took a deep breath and let herself adjust to her new form.

Just before the moonbeam vanished, Manny whispered, "Enjoy your new life, Mother Nature." With that the light vanished and she looked up at the moon, noticing a face smiling down on her. Letting a smile spread across her own face, she said, "Thank you, Manny. I promise to do the best I can to watch over nature and the children."

With that being said she turned the other way and began to live out her new dream, still hoping that one day her first dream would come true.

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And that's all folks. I like to thank you so much for reading this and I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions/comments/concerns/criticism, feel free to leave a review or send me a PM.

Thanks again for reading!


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